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| United States Patent |
5,165,720
|
|
Hoblingre
|
November 24, 1992
|
Device for fixing in position an adjustable steering column of an
automobile vehicle
Abstract
The device is of the type comprising a steering column support structure
(1) connected to the rest of the structure of the vehicle and comprising
two side members (2,3) between which the column is disposed, and means for
fixing the column in position by urging the side walls together and
comprising a rod (10) extending through and between the side members and
having a first end portion (11) bearing against one of the side members
and a second end portion connected to eccentric fixing means (12) provided
with at least one eccentric cam (13,17) connected to an actuating lever
(14) and to the second end portion (15) of the rod (10) and bearing
against the other side member of the support structure for urging the side
members together and thereby fixing the column in position. The at least
one eccentric cam (13,17) comprises a central core (13a,17a) on which is
rotatively mounted a rolling ring (13b,17b) bearing against the
corresponding side member.
| Inventors:
|
Hoblingre; Andre (Valentigney, FR)
|
| Assignee:
|
ECIA (FR)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
789678 |
| Filed:
|
November 8, 1991 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Current U.S. Class: |
280/775; 74/493; 74/519; 403/408.1; 411/344; 411/354 |
| Intern'l Class: |
B62D 001/18 |
| Field of Search: |
280/775
74/493
411/340,341,344,348
403/408.1,388
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
| 1281000 | Oct., 1918 | Hayter | 411/340.
|
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 2430604 | Jan., 1976 | DE | 74/493.
|
| 2583366 | Dec., 1986 | FR.
| |
| 1523638 | Sep., 1978 | GB.
| |
Primary Examiner: Marmor; Charles A.
Assistant Examiner: Graysay; Tamara L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sughrue, Mion, Minn, Macpeak & Seas
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Device for fixing in position an adjustable steering column of an
automobile vehicle, relative to a steering column support structure which
is connected to a structure of said vehicle and comprises two side members
between which side members the column is disposed,
said device comprising means for fixing the column in position by urging
the side members towards each other, said means comprising a rod for
extending between said side members and having a first end portion for
bearing against a first side member of said side members and a second end
portion, eccentric fixing means connected to said second end portion of
said rod and comprising at least one eccentric cam, an actuating lever,
said at least one eccentric cam being connected to said actuating lever
and to said second end portion of said rod, said at least one cam being
provided for bearing against a second side member of said side members of
said support structure for urging said side members towards each other and
thereby fixing the column in position, said at least one cam comprising a
central portion and a rolling ring being rotatively mounted on said
central portion for bearing against said second side member.
2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said central portion of said at
least one cam comprises a driving projecting portion having a given shape,
a cavity having a shape complementary to said given shape being provided
in said lever and cooperative with said projecting portion so that said
lever is capable of driving said at least one cam.
3. Device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one cam is connected
to said second end portion of the rod by a connecting pin.
4. Device according to claim 1, wherein said fixing means comprise two of
said at least one cam symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of said
rod.
5. Device according to claim 4, wherein said lever comprises two branches
diposed on opposite sides of said rod, said central portion of each of
said cams comprising a driving projecting portion having a given shape, a
cavity being provided in each of said branches and having a shape
complementary to said given shape of the projecting portion of a
respective one of said two cams and cooperative with said projecting
portion so that said lever is capable of driving said cams.
6. Device according to claim 1, further comprising an intermediate bearing
member interposed between said at least one cam and said second side
member of said support structure and defining a recess for receiving said
at least one cam and defining a stable column fixing position.
7. Device according to claim 1, wherein said second end portion of said rod
is a screwthreaded portion on which is screwthreadedly engaged a nut for
bearing against said first side member.
Description
The present invention relates to a device for fixing in position an
adjustable steering column of an automobile vehicle.
More particularly, the invention relates to such a fixing device of the
type comprising a steering column support structure connected to the rest
of the structure of the vehicle and comprising two side members between
which the steering column is disposed, and means for fixing the column in
position by urging the side members towards each other, said fixing means
comprising a rod extending between the side members and having a first end
portion bearing against one of the side members and a second end portion
connected to eccentric fixing means comprising at least one eccentric cam
connected to an actuating lever and to the second end portion of the rod
and bearing against the other side member of the support structure to
permit urging the side members towards each other and thereby fixing the
column in position.
Such a structure is well known in the art and is disclosed for example in
the document FR-A-2,360,454, more particularly with reference to FIGS. 1
and 4 of this document.
However, all the eccentric fixing means known in the art have a number of
drawbacks in that they are relatively difficult to actuate.
Indeed, the eccentric cams of the eccentric fixing means bear directly
against a corresponding surface of one of the side members of the support
structure to permit the side members to be urged towards each other and
fix the column in position. It will be understood that the greater the
clamping force required, the greater is the difficulty in actuating and
shifting this eccentric cam.
An object of the invention is to therefore to overcome these problems by
providing a device for fixing in position an adjustable steering column of
an automobile vehicle which is simple, reliable and easily actuated.
The invention therefore provides a fixing device of the type described
hereinbefore, characterized in that said at least one eccentric cam
comprises a central portion about which is rotatively mounted a rolling
ring which bears against the corresponding side member of the support
structure.
Advantageously, the fixing means comprise two cams symmetrically arranged
on each side of the rod.
In one embodiment, the central portion of the or each cam comprises a
projecting driving portion having a given shape for cooperation with a
cavity of complementary shape in the lever so that the cam can be rotated
by the lever, and the lever has two branches each provided with a cavity
for a respective one of the cams.
A better understanding of the invention will be had from the following
description which is given solely by way of example with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a device of the prior art for fixing in
position an adjustable steering column of an automobile vehicle;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of eccentric fixing means which are
a part of a fixing device according to the invention, and
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a part of the fixing device according to the
invention, illustrating the operation of the eccentric fixing means.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, a known device for fixing in position an
adjustable steering column of an automobile vehicle comprises mainly a
steering column support structure generally designated by the reference
character 1 in FIG. 1 and connected to the rest of the structure of the
vehicle and comprising two side members 2 and 3 between which the steering
column 4 is disposed. This fixing device further comprises means 5 for
fixing the column in position by urging the side members towards each
other, these fixing means comprising a rod 6 extending between the side
members and having a first end portion bearing against one of the side
members and a second portion connected to eccentric fixing means 7
comprising at least one eccentric cam 8 connected to an actuating lever 9
and to the second end portion of the rod 6 and bearing against the other
side member of the structure to permit urging the side members towards
each other and thereby fixing the column in position.
A more detailed description of this known type of fixing device may be had
from the aforementioned French document.
As mentioned before, these devices have a number of drawbacks as concerns
the actuation of the eccentric cam.
An object of the invention is to overcome these problems by providing a
device illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Note first of all that the device for
fixing in position the steering column of an automobile vehicle according
to the invention is a device partly similar to that described with
reference to FIG. 1, in that it also comprises a column support structure
connected to the rest of the structure of the vehicle and comprising two
side members between which the column is disposed.
The fixing device according to the invention also comprises means for
fixing the column in position by urging the side members towards each
other, said fixing means comprising for example a rod 10 extending between
said side members and having a first end portion 11 bearing against one of
the side members, or a first side member, and a second end portion
connected to eccentric fixing means 12 comprising at least one eccentric
cam 13 connected to an actuating lever 14 and to the second end portion 15
of the rod and bearing against the other side member of the support
structure, or second side member, to permit urging the side members
towards each other and thereby fixing the column in position. As
illustrated, an intermediate bearing member 16 may be interposed between
the eccentric cam of the fixing means and said other side member of the
support structure.
In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fixing
means comprise two eccentric cams 13 and 17 symmetrically arranged on each
side of the rod and more particularly of the second end portion 15 of the
latter. These eccentric cams comprise a central portion respectively 13a
and 17a on which is rotatively mounted a rolling ring respectively 13b and
17b adapted to bear against the corresponding side member of the support
structure, for example through the intermediate bearing member 16.
It will be understood that the displacement of the cams with respect to the
rest of the structure of the fixing means and in particular said side
members, is easier than in the devices of the prior art in that this
rolling ring facilitates the relative displacement in translation and in
rotation of the various component parts of the fixing means.
The cams 13 and 17 as well as the end portion 15 of the rod each include an
aperture for the passage of a connecting pin 18 which extends through the
central portions of the cams and the respective end portion of the rod so
as to interconnect these component parts.
Although in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the fixing means which
are part of the fixing device according to the invention comprise two cams
arranged on each side of the respective end portion of the rod, it will be
understood that these fixing means may comprise only a single cam.
The central portion of the or each cam comprises a driving projecting
portion respectively 13c and 17c having a given shape for cooperation with
a cavity of complementary shape 14a, 14b in the lever 14 so that the lever
can drive the cams. The lever comprises two branches extending on each
side of the respective end portion of the rod and each provided with said
cavity for driving the respective cam and thereby enabling the user to
shift, by actuating the lever 14, the cams to an active position in which
they urge said side members of the support structure towards each other
and thereby fix the steering column in position.
The intermediate bearing member 16 interposed between the or each cam and
the respective side member of the support structure comprises a recess 16a
for receiving the or each cam and defining a stable column fixing
position. Indeed, when the lever 14 is shifted to bring it to the position
for fixing the steering column in position, the cams, and more
particularly the rolling rings 13b and 17b of the cams, bear against and
move relative to the intermediate bearing member 16 and urge said side
members towards each other. When these rolling rings enter the recess 16a
in the intermediate bearing member, the user feels a discontinuity in the
effort required indicating that the lever and the fixing means are in a
stable column fixing position.
Note that the first end portion 11 of the rod 10 is a screwthreaded portion
11a on which is screwthreadedly engaged a nut 19 associated for example
with a washer 20 for bearing against the respective side member of the
support structure in a way similar to that shown in FIG. 1, this nut
enabling the effort exerted on the side members for fixing the steering
column in position to be adjusted.
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